


Still Celebrating

by alafaye



Series: Valentine's 2012 [9]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-13
Updated: 2012-02-13
Packaged: 2017-10-31 03:21:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/339318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentine's Day during the Year That Never Was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Still Celebrating

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a personal challenge to write pieces that are not the usual that pop up around Valentine's.

Martha let out a relieved breath as the camp came into view. She took in the sight for only a moment, standing as she was on top of a hill. In no time, she was skirting the edges, dodging any cameras or guards, and climbing over the fence and then into a window. Her arrival sparked minor surprise--one thing they had learned was not to draw any attention. Their captors didn't care what caused the ruckus; only that any sign of agitation should be stopped. She smiled a bit at them.

"Martha Jones."

Many faces recognized her name and she was soon being ushered into a corner, away from the door and where she could be quickly hidden by any surprise inspections. But for now, it was quiet and they gathered around her to hear what she had to say. Gladly, she told them what she knew.

In the evening, food was smuggled to her, though it wasn't much. But it was food and it wasn't rotting. Barely eaten, it energized her. Finishing up, she noticed something...odd. As the days had worn on, people had begun to cluster together, in groups, for warmth and comfort and friendship. There were very few couples who ever separated from the others. But here, she saw couples forming, breaking off. Another dark corner had been suspiciously curtained off and seemed to be visited by couples every few hours.

Someone--Melissa?--brought Martha a cup of water. "Thanks." She patted the bench next to her and the woman sat. Martha smiled and looked at the small holding cell. "So--what's with all the couples? It's just that everywhere else I've gone, everyone's been in a group."

The woman blushed a little. "John was working the other day in the office, cleaning up, and he got to see a calendar. It's February 14th. Lover's day." She smiled and watched her fellow prisoners. "We decided to celebrate a bit."

Martha blinked. The fourteenth. It had been a long time since she'd known what day it was and it surprised her. Was it really February already? It seemed only yesterday the Doctor was telling her what to do. She wrapped her hands fully around her cup and watched. God, just last year, she was just a student, studying to pass her classes. She had a date that had ended in disaster (so there was a reason the dorms wouldn't allow candles in student rooms!), but she had been someone _normal_.

Now, a year had gone and she was fighting for her life, for everyone's lives. For the future. 

The woman wrapped an arm around Martha's shoulders. "Hey, now. Cheer up. It's not that bad, is it?"

Martha smiled weakly. "I suppose not."

The woman left briefly and returned with a weak-looking rose. "Nathan got a bunch of these just yesterday. We don't know where or how, but we're all keeping quiet about it. It's not from a lover, but it's cheering, isn't it?"

Martha put the rose into the top button hole of her jacket and patted it. "There we are. Thank you."

The woman smiled and sat back down. "At least you're not alone. Right?"

Martha nodded. "Right."


End file.
